Bodies intrigue us They promise windows into the past that other archaeological finds cannot by bringing us literally face to face with history Yet ‘the body’ is also highly contested Archaeological bodies are studied through two contrasting perspectives that sit on different sides of a disciplinary divide On one hand lie science-based osteoarchaeological approaches On the other lie understandings derived from recent developments in social theory that increasingly view the body as a social construction Through a close examination of disciplinary practice, Joanna Sofaer highlights the tensions and possibilities offered by one particular kind of archaeological body, the human skeleton, with particular regard to the study of gender and age Using a range of examples, she argues for reassessment of the role of the skeletal body in archaeological practice, and develops a theoretical framework for bioarchaeology based on the materiality and historicity of human remains • Investigates one of the most intriguing aspects of archaeology, archaeological remains • Bridges the two traditionally distinct and separate approaches to the subject, namely the scientific approach and the social theoretical approach • Presents a significant new model for the study of the subject which merges the two distinct approaches

The Body as Material Culture: A Theoretical Osteoarchaeology

The Bioarchaeology of Children by Mary E. Lewis

The remains of past people are a testament to their lived experiences and of the environment in which they lived. Synthesising the latest research, this book critically examines the sources of evidence used to understand and interpret violence in bioarchaeology, exploring the significant light such evidence can shed on past hierarchies, gender roles and life courses. The text draws on a diverse range of social and clinical science research to investigate violence and trauma in the archaeological record, focussing on human remains. It examines injury patterns in different groups as well as the biological, psychological and cultural factors that make us behave violently, how our living environment influences injury and violence, the models used to identify and interpret violence in the past, and how violence is used as a social tool. Drawing on a range of case studies, Redfern explores new research directions that will contribute to nuanced interpretations of past lives.

Injury and Trauma in Bioarchaeology: Interpreting Violence in Past Lives

Many critiques surrounding the archaeology of childhood have addressed the disparate social and biological identifications of children. Bioarchaeological information can elucidate the lives of children and the meaning of childhood in antiquity. Bioanthropological techniques additionally can identify biological developmental stages of childhood that may link to socially defined age grades. This chapter presents and critically evaluates the diverse techniques that may be used to illuminate relationships between biological evidence and social interpretations in the archaeological study of children and childhood. A brief example from the Byzantine Near East illustrates the utility of bioarchaeology in the study of ancient children.

Redefining Childhood through Bioarchaeology: Toward an Archaeological and Biological Understanding of Children in Antiquity

Prehistoric cases of maternal and fetal death during labour are difficult to document. However, this must have been a frequent cause of death among young women who lived in hard circumstances and precarious health conditions. In this paper, a case of a Bronze Age woman who probably died during childbirth due to unavoidable reasons is presented: her baby was lying transversely with the right fetal arm protracted. Death of both mother and child was inevitable. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

M. M. Ayala

Papers

A dystocic childbirth in the Spanish Bronze Age